Palworld is a monster-hunting game similar to the Pokemon franchise. One of the main draws of this game is undeniably the creatures you can collect, running the gamut from cute, majestic, and epic. Inevitably, Palworld shares similar concepts and mechanics from the Pokemon franchise, such as type weaknesses and starter Pals. However, one of the most iconic features that may be missing from Palworld is evolution.
Is there evolution in Palworld?
In monster collecting games, evolution is the concept of taking a weaker creature and letting it “evolve” into a stronger version, almost always with increased stats and a new appearance. With the massive swarm of new creatures in Palworld, evolution seems to make sense, especially with the similarities it bears to Pokemon. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way to evolve your Pals in Palworld. In other words, your cute Lamball will stay a Lamball forever.
However, there is a mechanic that allows you to turn one Palworld into a stronger one. What you can do is breed different Pals together, essentially fusing them into different variants. These variants will have different stats, skills, and elements, which can allow them to excel at different things in comparison to their base forms. If you’re familiar with the Shin Megami Tensei or Persona franchise, this is somewhat similar to their fusion mechanic (although nowhere near as complex.)
As of this writing, Palworld is still in early access, meaning evolution is potentially not off the table. However, if you’re endlessly grinding mobs to level up your favorite Pals in the hopes that they’ll evolve, you’re fighting a losing battle. Evolution as it stands is not a feature in Palworld, and may not become a feature. There are other ways to interact and train with your Pals, however, so be sure to spend plenty of time with your Pals and help them thrive.